sgmilne

The Boat That Rocked - It got really shit reviews in some papers so I avoided it on the cinema but it had 7.6 on imdb so gave it a chance. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed it. At over 2 hours it didn't drag at all.

I've watched a few films over the past few days.

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel - Really enjoyed this, but that doesn't surprise me because it's by BBC Films. Basic premise is three friends - one of whom is obsessed with time travel - get caught in a crack in time down the local pub. It's got a small cast (including Anna Faris, who was decent in it and must have sacked her old agent to land a role in a respectable film) and it's maybe a little short, but well worth watching.

Adventureland - Seems to star a guy who is a cross between Michael Cera and Alan Davies. It's one of those films you watch and even though not much happens, and it's not even that memorable, you do enjoy it.

Invasion of the Bodysnatchers - Classic 1950s Sci-Fi about a Doctor in a small Californian town who discovers everyone is being replaced by identical but emotionless copies. Again, it's not too long, and though the plot has been reused many times, the original must have been quite groundbreaking and exciting at the time. I enjoyed it.

Strangers on a Train - I don't think this is as good as loads of other Hitchcock films and it does require some suspension of disbelief. You watch it thinking 'Why does he not just go to the police'. Decent but there are far better Hitchcock films out there.

Bascially, epic film, classic good vs evil, Transformers are cool, many classic characters get mercilessly slaughtered lulling you into "anything can happen in this movie", tremendous soundtrack.

 

 

They Kill Fucking Optimus Prime and Megatron and Starscream ffs.. epic event of teh decade tbh ( i know it was all about the toy sales, but still)..

 

desoite people saying its shit. No nostaglia, its genuinely a good film, it pulls on the heart strings, has a plucky young hero pit against the possible end of everything as we know it... and a cracking sound track (Stan Bush him of Bloodsport, KickBoxer Soundtrack fame. Vince Di Coia, him of Rocky IV soundtrack fame... what more do you want.. Weird Al Yankovic.. yep he's there too!)

 

The American cut in the Ultimate edition sucks donkey balls with its supermanesquer titles

First 25 minutes and last 20 minutes are are superb. In the middle it really slows down a bit. The stuff with Eric Idle is crap.

The death of Ironhide is great, and the Optimus Prime/Megatron showdown is one of the great movie showdowns.

Still annoys me a bit the way Wheeljack - a major character in the cartoon series - is killed off offscreen and shown lying dead in a corner somewhere.

This is brilliant...

Extended Full Songs of the opening and closing themes to The Family Ness.

It doesn't get much cooler

Absolutely amazing wedding entrance -

That's such an obvious attempt to go 'one better' than the famous youtube video of the couple doing their choreographed first dance at their wedding reception.

What channel is that shown on? Not sure if I've ever seen it.

It was on BBC1 in 1976. Famous show that came 4th I think in the BFI all time top British dramas.

Well worth checking out.

Just finished watching I Claudius from 1976.

Has anyone watched it before? Absolutely superb. It's like a bunch of classically trained 1970s actors decided to get together and act their arses off.

Highest Recommendation.

Just finished watching Battlestar Galactica. Superb show. Very enjoyable from start to finish.

Anyone else watch it?

Recently watched Being Human, which I really enjoyed. Took a couple of episodes to get going but I thought it was a very strong series.

Just started watching Battlestar Galactica last month. I'm about 4 episodes into Series 2, and I'm enjoying it.

Anyone else watching Grey's Anatomy?

Without spoiling it, what an ending to the series!

Last night's episode was class as well.

The bit where Jay is setting himself up for a 'Sleeping Beauty' when his mum and Neil walk in is one of the funniest bits yet!

Aye, well you're probably right about it taking place - at least in part - in modern day London.

I'll be interested to see where Steven Moffat takes it, as he's a superb writer.

Also, I don't get how 'something is about to happen' would effect someone who has a time machine. Why doesn't he just go forward, find out what it is, then go back and prepare for it, or even kill the cause of it?

What you're saying doesn't really make sense.

Something is about to happen to him in his own life. The Doctor's life is still a straight line much like mine or yours, but it just takes place in varios different places and times. He's not going to know *where* something will happen or *when* in his personal timeline because he is 'of no fixed time or abode'.

Pretty easy explanation and certainly not 'retarded'

How was she in the Girl in the Fireplace? Don't remember that

 

Loved the Quatermassreference, nice bit of continuity as well that the Doctor is aware of him, he's been mentioned a few times iirc.

 

I really think Russel T.Davies is the weakest writer of Doctor Who stories. Most of them are so bland and rushed its uinbelievable. He's even managed to make the Daleks look shit.

 

I hope Mofatt brings back some 2-3 parters, he seems a very old school type of Doctor Who fan, so I think we're going to see something very different with his Doctor. Agreed with the falling in love nonsense, I don't want Doctor Who chasing skirt.

I don't think it's too fair to say Russel T. Davies is the weakest of the writers. For a start, as the script editor he pretty much has his finger in every proverbial pie.

And some of his stuff has been superb. In the last series there, Midnight was a superb story and te last 10 minutes of the finale is as good as TV gets. Superb! However, that's not just the script writing, it's also the acting. Bernard Cribbins and Catherine Tate were both absolutely brilliant in that last episode.

However, it's good that the torch is set to be passed so a different pair of hands can steer the ship.

I enjoyed last night's one a lot more than the weak Christmas episode, but it wasn't great by any manner of means. And I agree that Michelle Ryan was pretty weak. Furthermore, I too am a little tired of the 'Guest Female Lead kisses the Doctor all of a sudden' thing, because it's so forced.

I'm not ashamed of liking Rick Wakeman - far from it - but I've come to learn he's an aquired taste

Alan Fletcher does tours of student unions and 'Walkabout' clubs in the UK a couple of times a year with his band, Waiting Room.

At the end of each gig, he does a meet and greet, taking the time to spend a few minutes with everyone who wants to see him. A class act and a gentleman.

Met a few different people when I had open heart surgery in 1991.

While staying at the hospital I was invited to open the newest ward with John Leslie and (i think) Diane-Louise Jordan for Blue Peter. Can't remember too much about it, but they seemed nice enough.

Then when I was recovering the hospital arranged for me to meet Rick Wakeman (yes, I know what you're thinking. What's an 8 year old boy doing listening to Rick Wakeman). He was a really nice guy and gave up lots of his time to meet me.

I've met a few footballers associated with Dundee United over the years - Lee Wilkie deserves a mention for being a good guy.

Like a lot of other people, I've met Alan Fletcher, who is a great guy too.

I'm sure I've met others but I can't remember off-hand. Lorraine Kelly isn't all smiles and sunshine though. Even though she lives in the Dunde area, when asked if she could attend a Save the Children event, she said yes, as long as Save the Children paid for her air fare for her and her family to get up to Dundee. Despite living here. Jeeeesus.

Oh, and I'm technically step-cousins with one zzzzz-lister who I won't mention, and she and her family are among the most vile people walking the planet. Her mother especially may well be the physical embodiment of everything that is horrendous about the human race.

The character I hate the most is Mickey. Just fuck off. Your parents have left and you're still in the show. Why? Probably because the producers didn't want to upset his real life parents into pulling his brother (who plays Ben) out as well.

But all he does is stand there grinning now. That's only slightly less annoying than the endless cycle of 'Mickey runs away from home' storylines.

I don't mind the rest of the Parkers too much though.

Lucas and Dan are both great characters imho.

I'm not sure if you dislike Donna from your post above, but I don't mind her. Her siblings annoy me though.

Zeke pisses me right off. The actor who plays him is so unconvincing as a tough guy, yet he tries so hard. See the character development of Zeke towards the end of the 2008 season (i.e. just before he went missing).

But he's still more likeable than Rachel.

Ringo is a bit pointless too, but I like Declan. He's a character with a bit of substance to him.

Similarly Rebecca is a great character.

Currently watching:

Neighbours (Australian Pace)

Alias (Second time around for me. Classic series)

The US Office - this is a top quality comedy that people don't seem to realise exists. Far far superior to the British one, each character is brilliantly done, with special mention to Jenna Fischer as Pam the receptionist. She's got her character absolutely spot on.

Grey's Anatomy - excellent series. Can't believe it hasn't been mentioned. Consistantly brilliant episodes.

Private Practice - If you like Grey's Anatomy, you'll like this

Family Guy - See my thread on the subject

Lost - it's absolutely ridiculous but I still watch it.

Dr Who - always watch an episode of Dr Who to help me fall asleep. Currently I'm back at William Hartnell and I'm on The War Machines. Old Doctor Who is consistantly brilliant until 1980.

Outnumbered - Funniest British Comedy in years. Can't understand how it's not really spoken about on this forum. Basically it's partially improvised as the two young children are pretty much let loose to do what they want. The writers whisper in their ear what to say to Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner and they then have to work with it. Since she's not acting and is so comfortable in front of camera, the wee girl is the greatest TV character of all time.

On my 'to-watch' list

Deadwood - I've got this lined up. Not too sure about it, but Lovejoy in a western seems a decent thing

Ally McBeal - Had never seen it but got the boxed set as a Christmas present. Seems quite good but haven't got into full swing with it yet

Six Feet Under - Again, I ws given the boxed set without seeing it. Got to mid-way through Series 2 but it's just so fucking slow and depressing that I gave up. Will have to try again to get my money's worth. Does it get any better?

I Claudius - It's mean't to be great, so why not.

So let's not even start about him being half human...

I was being deliberatly facetious to an extent.

But I don't honestly think it's critical to canon at all. It's just something that was written into the Deadly Asassain to explain why the Master wasn't Roger Delgado anymore, and it was used again three times. Once as a plot device in Mawdryn Undead, once to giv the Master a purpose in the Five Doctors and once as a swerve in the big reveal about the Valyard in the Ultimate Foe. At no point is the lack of regenerations a concern to the Doctor other than in Mawdryn Undead so it's not something that has been central to his character.

It's never been mentioned at any point other than that.

It doesn't need explained or sorted and it wouldn't harm the show or its credibility with people other than canon marks. Inevitably there will be a throwaway line to explain it. But as a Doctor Who fan, i'd far rather have a Time War special with Paul McGann regenerating at the end of it.

Also, I would say the Doctor's age is of significance to his character his age makes no sense if you even scratch the surface of his character.

The Master got given a new cycle of re-gens to fight in the Time War though did he not? And only survived prior to that by taking over the bodies of other people; i.e. the '96 film.

He was offered a new full cycle of regenerations in the Five Doctors.

Also, here's a thought...

Who's to say the Master from the 8th Doctor Movie is post Ainley? After all, it was suggested he was exterminated by the Daleks. Would make more sense for that to have been Delgado.

See, we could argue plot points and canon all day.

Well I disagree with you entirely. Yes, it could easily be sorted by a throwaway line about regeneration limits being enforced by the timelords and since they are no longer around then it doesn't matter, but why would he even bother to say that other than to placate some viewers.

And if you want to things to be canonical then how far do you go. Are the TV stories the only thing that becomes canonical? If so, I demand they explain how Paul McGann regenerated and I also want to know how the Doctor is as old as he says he is when the grand total of his spell as Peter Davison amounts to something like three and a half weeks, real time.

If you're taking the audios and the books as canon, then why does the Doctor not get an eerilie familiar feeling a lot of the time when many of his most recent adventures are replicas of books and audios?

Why is it no longer heavily hinted at that the Doctor is in fact God (see the Seventh Doctor)?

If it wasn't for Ian Levine's intervention, I could also have said 'Why do the Silurians all of a sudden come from a planet called Siluria'?

How could the Second Doctor suddenly get control of the TARDIS to be able to leave Victoria at a University while he and Jamie had the 'Two Doctors' adventure when the Doctor only gained a real understanding of the TARDIS's controls after the Three Doctors. Moreover, why is the Second Doctor's hair grey and why does Jamie not remember all talk of the Time Lords during episodes 9 and 10 of the War Games. Unless of course, there was a series 6b that we don't know about...

And at what point did he introduce himself as Doctor Who, and if he didn't, why did WOTAN insist on calling him that?

Or...

We could take it as three throwaway lines in 3 stories and accept that something's happened offscreen and it's all sorted.

Oh, and by the way, to the poster above, it is established on a few occasions that the William Hartnell Doctor was the first by a line in the Five Doctors - "Goodness Me!! So there are five of me now". But...what about the Brain of Morbius.

I've always loved it when people use their 'knowledge' of pre 2005 Doctor Who in arguements like it's some sort of cock swinging contest and get hugely wanky about canon and how they will 'get out of this corner they've backed themselves into'. Of course I say that while swinging my own cock and being comfortable in the knowledge I most likely know the most about Doctor Who on this forum

If you take everything as absolutely literal and look at Doctor Who as a whole and not as a straight line, loads of stuff doesn't make any sense. You've only got to look at the second story - The Daleks - to see that. How do they not know who the Doctor is? How does the Doctor not know who they are? Why don't Ian and Barbara remark that he has two Hearts when they listen to his chest. Why do the Daleks value survival over the universal domination they clearly desire in every other meeting with the Doctor. How come in the Thal's complete history of records of Skaro, the Daleks are previously known as The Dahls rather than the Kaleds? The answer to all those questions is because that's how it was written at the time and who cares if it doesn't tie up with something written by the same guy only 12 years later.

And it's also clear that if you look at things ONLY taking place on screen then things make even less sense. I mean, let's look at this 13 regenerations thing. It's mentioned in 3 stories I think out of the loads of stories in the past. Who cares? Are people that anal that they would get really angry if they just continued to make Doctor Who beyond the 13th Doctor? No. Can they get round it? Yes. Why? Cos it's fiction!!!!

As for the new Doctor, who's to say that he's too young and the Doctor should be old. I'm hugely confident in Steven Moffat. He's a brilliant writer with a real passion for Doctor Who. He knows what he's doing.

Nobody really had a clue who Tom Baker was either.

I'm optimistic.